Hakkai's Surprise 2: Forbidden
by AppleCiderVinegar
Summary: The storks discover that Hakkai and Kanan were siblings as well as lovers, and they come to take his daughter away. But between otherworldly visitations and unexpected surprises, will Hakkai be able to keep his daughter away from the storks? Mpreg
1. Paradise Found

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations, unexpected surprises, and a sick little dragon, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Prologue: Paradise Found

* * *

Cho Hakkai was playing with his daughter, Cho Kanan. Kanan, who had been two when Hakkai had left on the journey west, had recently turned five. Currently, father and daughter were splashing around in a river close to home. Gojyo had opted out, saying that it was a bit too close to home.

- Flashback -

"**But don't you want to be home?" Kanan asked innocently. Gojyo fished for an answer, but Hakkai came to his rescue first.**

"**We'd best get going, if we want to stay at the river for more than an hour." Hakkai said, ushering Kanan out the door. "We'll be back after sundown, Gojyo." All the way to the river, Kanan was quiet, a contemplative look on her young face.**

"**A penny for your thoughts, Kanan-chan?" Hakkai asked. Though she didn't know what the phrase meant, she took it as a prompt to share what was on her mind.**

"**Tou-chan, why did Gojyo-jisan not want to be home?" Kanan's hazel gaze was concerned. Hakkai smiled at his daughter.**

"**It's more complex than that, Kanan-chan. I'm sure he'll tell you someday when you're older."**

"**But why won't he come swimming with us?" Kanan asked. "Is he scared?"**

"**He just doesn't like the water, is all." Hakkai explained.**

"**But _why_?"**

"**You'll find out when you're older, I promise."**

"**I wanna be older now, Tou-chan." Kanan whined. Hakkai laughed.**

"**Enjoy being young while you can, Kanan-chan."**

"**You're still young, Tou-chan," Kanan said. The 25-year-old smiled.**

"**Not as young as you, Kanan-chan." Hakkai said. "I'm two decades older than you. Do you know how much a decade is?" Kanan seemed to ponder this for a minute, before holding out both hands, her fingers spread wide.**

"**Ten!" She beamed.**

"**That's right, good job!" Hakkai cheered. His daughter was endearingly precocious.**

- end flashback –

Hakkai, in watching Kanan splash around in the shallows, was only vaguely aware of a spot of crimson disappearing into the water a ways down the river. When he looked toward it, it was gone. A ripple marked the spot where it had gone under the water, but that too faded. He puzzled over it for a minute, until Kanan shrieked. Frightened, startled, and prepared to fight, Hakkai whipped his head back to where his daughter had been playing. Only ripples were there.

"Kanan-chan?" He called, green eyes wide with fear. He could hardly hear through the blood pounding in his ears. Suddenly, in a splashing eruption of laughter, Kanan was launched out of the water and caught by the strong hands of a certain red-haired water sprite.

"For gods' sake, Gojyo! You scared the living daylights out of me!" Hakkai scolded, his hand on his chest as his breathing steadied. Gojyo grinned, his red hair plastered to his face and Kanan sitting on his shoulder. The five-year-old giggled.

"That was fun! Let's do that again!" Kanan squealed.

"Please, some warning next time?" Hakkai asked. Gojyo's grin turned mischievous.

"Like _this_?" He asked, grabbing Hakkai's ankle with one hand and pulling the youkai into the water in one swoop. He held out his hand in front of Kanan, and she smacked it with her own. After a few minutes, though, Hakkai still hadn't surfaced.

"Tou-chan's gonna get you back, Gojyo-jisan." Kanan said with a laugh, thinking that Hakkai was waiting for the perfect moment to get his revenge. Gojyo, worried about Hakkai, set Kanan up on the bank.

"Stay right here, I'll be right back." He dove under, looking around for Hakkai. He saw the brunette in a colony of seaweed. Swimming down, he grabbed his friend's arm. The adrenaline rushing through his system caused him to overlook the fact that Hakkai's cheeks were slightly puffed out with held breath and a restrained grin. The youkai let Gojyo drag him to the surface, immediately opening his eyes and treading water once they broke. He didn't want to worry his daughter, after all. Gojyo looked about ready to throttle him.

"Hakkai, you-!"

"Watch your language, Gojyo." Hakkai said with a laugh, hauling himself out of the water to sit beside Kanan. He shook his head rapidly, splashing Kanan and causing her to giggle. She tried to copy him, but her hair was too long.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Gojyo yelled.

"That serves you right for scaring me." Hakkai countered, holding Kanan close. The little girl had no idea what was going on, her hazel eyes traveling from her father to her uncle in confusion.

"Lighten up, Hakkai," Gojyo said.

"Um, pardon me? I do believe that my revenge was rather light-hearted. I still haven't paid you back for your lie five years ago." Hakkai said. Now Kanan was really confused.

"You're still sore about that? Let it go, 'Kai. It's not doing anyone any good to be all uptight about it." Gojyo didn't need to tread water to stay afloat, due to his heritage.

"Of course I'm still sore about that. Come on, Kanan, it's time to go home."

"But _Tou-chan_!" Kanan whined. "Why can't we stay?"

"It's getting dark. The wild things come out at night." Hakkai said with a smile.

"Like big, scary dragons?" Kanan asked, her eyes wide with fright.

"Just like big, scary dragons. They come out at night looking for pretty little girls, and then they...eat them up!" Hakkai said, grabbing Kanan around the middle and tickling her. She squealed, giggling madly. Gojyo let himself float a ways down the river, hoisting himself out smoothly and walking over.

"Gojyo-jisan, you'll help protect me from the big, scary dragons, right?" Kanan asked, as the three walked back toward home. The hanyou pulled his crimson hair to one side, wringing the water out.

"Of course, Kanan-chan. Between me and your tou-chan, nothing will ever happen to you." Gojyo smiled at the little girl. Kanan felt safe, walking between the two greatest men in her life. They were heroes in her eyes, her knights in shining armor, and she knew that nothing indeed would ever happen to her as long as they were here to protect her.

The little family made its way home, Hakkai carrying the drowsy Kanan. She had started to yawn about halfway home, and had by now all but fallen asleep on Hakkai's shoulder.

"_Oyasumi_, Hakkai. 'Night, Kanan-chan." Gojyo said.

"_Oyasumi_, Gojyo." Hakkai whispered with a smile, going to put Kanan down for the night.

* * *

Language notes: oyasumi - good night

Story notes: This follows the timeline set by its predecessor, Hakkai's Surprise. And loosely, the canon timeline as well. In case you couldn't tell, it's post-journey; much like the original was pre-journey. And though it's more than a page, the prologue's still pretty short.

Dragon notes: When Kanan says 'big, scary dragons', she's talking about the kind in fairy tales who hold the princesses captive, not little dragons like Hakuryu and her plushie, Haku-chan (who is very real to her, thank you very much).

Next chapter: It's a dream scene, but it's an unskippable dream scene. Deal, or don't read the story. While there is a bit of...well, _that_, it's more poetically written than descriptively. More of a grapefruit really.


	2. A Lovers' Reunion

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations and unexpected surprises, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Chapter the first: A Lovers' Reunion

AN: This chapter is a dream scene. Since there is no reality whatsoever in this chapter, I felt it unnecessary to use bold or italics to differentiate. Also, there is strong Kanan/Gonou in this chapter. Slight sex, but nothing too graphic. More poetic than anything, really. :3

* * *

Hakkai came to awareness in darkness. His white button-up shirt and khaki pants stood out in stark contrast to his empty surroundings. He looked out on this darkness from behind a pair of glasses, his long-lost right eye back in its socket, at least for this dream. His dark hair was longer, the back going down to his shoulder blades. In short, he was his human self, Cho Gonou. 

A door appeared in front of him. He tentatively placed his hand on the knob and turned it. As soon as he stepped into the darkened room, a light clicked on. It was his old home, the one that he had shared with Kanan. He wasn't that surprised to see his old home, but he was surprised to see it in order. Usually, in dreams of his past (which had become increasingly infrequent), the house looked as it had the day that Kanan had been taken.

"_Irasshaimase_!" A woman's voice called cheerfully from the kitchen. "Is that you, Gonou?" The woman speaking came out to greet him, drying her hands on a dish towel. Her sun yellow dress offset her long dark brown hair, and her green eyes sparkled with happiness. She wore a cross on a chain around her neck. Hakkai – Gonou, for the purposes of this dream – was shocked, his breath caught in his chest.

"K-_Kanan_?" He managed to stammer, wide-eyed. Kanan's smile disappeared, a look of concern falling on her face.

"Is something wrong, Gonou?" She asked, tossing the dish towel onto the table and walking over to him. He took her hands in his.

"Kanan, is it really you?" He asked disbelievingly. He couldn't be this lucky. She smiled, freeing her hands and examining Gonou's.

"I've always loved your hands," she said, bringing his right hand to her lips and gently kissing the tips of his long fingers. The simple gesture sent a shiver down his spine.

"Kanan...I've missed you so much." He pulled her into a desperate embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.

"I've missed you too, Gonou," Kanan said softly, laying her head on Gonou's chest. He lay his head on top of hers, closing his eyes and willing this dream never to end.

"I'm so glad that you're back." Gonou said. Kanan's smile faded, a sad look coming to her face. She loved him too much to let him fool himself like this.

"Gonou, this isn't real. It's just a dream." She looked up at her brother. "I love you, and I wish that I could stay, but I can't."

"Kanan..." Kanan raised a finger to his lips, silencing further protest.

"Let's make the most of the short time that we have together," she said, kissing him deeply. He responded, crushing her to him in a wild embrace.

The lovers' passions grew, and their bodies reacted in kind. They made their way to the bedroom, hands dancing in a wild synchronized race to remove their clothes. Fevered, heartfelt declarations of love were moaned as Kanan and Gonou forged and finished their physical bond.

Afterward, when Gonou's mind was beginning to go muzzy around the edges in a prelude to wakefulness, Kanan pressed her lips to his in a gentle final kiss.

"Farewell, Gonou. I love you," she laid her palm on his cheek. "Take good care of our son." She smiled sadly at him. Before he had a chance to respond, he was plunged back into darkness and then wakefulness.

* * *

Language notes: Irasshaimase - welcome 

Canon notes: For those of you who aren't familiar with the manga but have seen the anime, canonically, Gonou and Kanan are siblings _and_ lovers. It's not my place to judge, and I happen to like the pairing, even if it is incest. Also for those of you who aren't familiar with the manga, Hakkai's nearly blind right eye is artificial. In case you were curious about the 'long gone right eye' comment.

Author notes: That wasn't so bad, was it? It wasn't even that descriptive.

Next chapter: Half is Hakkai's reaction to the dream. The other half is a scene with the _koonotori_ (storks)! I know everyone is missing them! xD


	3. Morning After, and She's His What!

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations and unexpected surprises, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Chapter the second: Morning After, and She's His _what_?

* * *

Hakkai awoke with a start, sitting up in bed. His dream was still vivid in his mind. Really, how could it not be? He lay back down, staring up at the ceiling and turning over the last thing Kanan had said in his mind.

'_Take good care of our son.'_ What did that mean? Kanan had to have known that their child was a girl. Could it be that perhaps, in their encounter, Kanan had somehow been impregnated? Impossible. Even if it was really Kanan's spirit, it was impossible to impregnate a ghost. But how, then, to explain Kanan's statement? Unless it was possible that...no. That concept was absurd and illogical. He had not been impregnated by the ghost of his lover. But then, what had Kanan meant? She surely knew that they had a daughter. Had it been merely a slip of the tongue? No, that too was absurd.

The notion that kept niggling its way into Hakkai's mind was that perhaps it was too much of a dream. Perhaps the entire thing was fabricated. Because it was a dream, it was entirely possible that Kanan's statement was just a fabrication. But Hakkai kept dismissing this idea. The feel of Kanan around him, under him, clutching him was too real. It was as though she had actually been there. He knew that it was the ghost of his lover that had come to his dream. The Kanan that his subconscious concocted was never so three-dimensional. His subconscious always focused on her death, her capture. Last night, Kanan was truly there, knew he was there, was interacting, instead of following a script.

And the sensations that he was feeling, the physical sensation of completion, the spent feeling that he hadn't felt in six years, but knew so well. If his dream from last night had been just a dream, then it would have been quite a...for lack of a more polite term, wet dream. While the spent feeling was there, the product was not. And he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have that particular...medical problem at 25 years of age.

No, no, last night had been far too real to be a dream. Kanan, somehow, had visited him last night. Which left him at his original question: why had she told Hakkai to 'take good care of their son', when they didn't have a son? The only somewhat reasonable explanation was that through some strange channel, Hakkai had impregnated Kanan, and become pregnant himself. Which, of course, was impossible. Absolutely impossible. Making love with a spirit didn't make one pregnant.

With that, Hakkai decided that it had merely been a post-coital slip. That was all that it could be. He wasn't pregnant. It was impossible. Kanan had simply made a post-coital slip, is all. It was the most likely out of the slightly plausible solutions.

- Palace of Heaven –

The two opposites knelt in front of the deities, their heads bowed.

"You wished to see us?" The dark-skinned one asked.

"Yes. We have news about a recent client of yours, Cho Hakkai." One of the faceless gods said.

"We were reviewing his information in comparison with the rules of life's creation and also the rules of your kind." Another god added.

"While the method of conception was rather unusual, it was still performed with the utmost professionalism," the male of the two knelt figures said.

"And we got permission from the stork council before we even undertook the task," the pale woman added.

"That isn't what we called you here to discuss." The first god interrupted the two.

"The child that he bore is the product of incest. His lover was also his older sister." Two heads immediately snapped up. Brown and green eyes were wide. The two birds looked at one another.

"_Kuso_." The white-haired one pretty much summed it up.

"This...proves a problem?" One of the gods asked.

"The laws of our kind dictate that products of incest are cursed. Even more so than the union of human and youkai," the dark-skinned one said, his head dropping in respect. "If one is created, it must be removed from its biological parents."

"We thank you for bringing this to our attention," the pale stork said. "We'll do our best to remedy the situation." They stood and departed. The gods were left to converse amongst themselves.

"This sucks, Jyuu-kun. We freaking babysat for him for, how long was it?"

"Two years."

"Two gosh-darned years!"

"Has anyone ever told you that maybe you're around children too much, Jihira-chan?" Jyuuseii asked, raising an eyebrow at her strange censoring. Jihira pouted.

"Shut up. I've never been comfortable with swearing," she said. "But what are we going to do about Hakkai-san? We can't just up and tell him after five years that 'Oops, our bad, you have to give us your daughter'. You've seen how he dotes on that little girl. She's probably his motivation for living."

"I know that, but what can we do? His daughter is the product of incest, and he withheld that fact from us. It's our duty to take her."

"Can't we make an exception? He's the best father I've ever seen. She'll never get to know her mother, the poor girl. Her father's all she has left, and she's all that's keeping him here. It'll crush him if we take her. I can't do that to him, I just can't." Tears came to Jihira's eyes, and her voice cracked. She shook her head, her eyes screwed shut. Jyuuseii put his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Jihira. We'll do what we have to, and everything will turn out for the best. I promise."

"I'm sorry; Jyuuseii, but I just can't take her away. I've seen too many tearful goodbyes in my life." A tingling in the back of her mind distracted Jihira from her tears.

"Did you just get a little niggling feeling that something important just happened?"

"_Hai_. Either our actions are being manipulated by a higher power who can even control the gods-" Jihira and Jyuuseii paused a moment, looking up. In the back of their minds, they heard the faint sound of glass shattering, and a young woman's voice say "_Kuso_, not again!"

"Nah," they said dismissively.

"Or something important just happened," Jyuuseii finished.

"I think that that something just happened to Hakkai-san."

"Well, let's check his door." The two storks transformed to their flight-capable forms, gliding away toward Hakkai and Gojyo's house.

* * *

Foreign language notes: kuso - damn it, hai - yes

English language notes: post-coital - after sex (my beta told me to add this. xD)

Fourth Wall notes: The shattering that Jihira and Jyuuseii heard was the breaking of a fragile glass wall called the fourth wall. Normally, a stage has only three walls. The fourth wall, therefore, is what separates the audience, author, reader, and whatnot from the actors. When an actor mentions the audience, readers, author, or whatever, they 'break' the fourth wall. Therefore, by mentioning a higher power (aka me), Jyuuseii broke the fourth wall.

Next chapter: The storks leave a note asking Hakkai to surrender Kanan to them, but Hakkai has other plans.


	4. Door Post

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations and unexpected surprises, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Omg, I am so sorry. It's been so long since I updated this. Don't really expect regular posting from here on out, because school's a bitch and truthfully I've fallen somewhat out of love with Saiyuki. I still like it (a lot) but I'm fangirling over Kingdom Hearts 2. -sweatdrop- But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to finish posting this. Because it's already finished.

So anyway, sorry for the delay! And thank you for over 250 hits!

Chapter the third: Door Post

----------------

Jihira and Jyuuseii landed in a tree near the house. From here, they could see the door. More specifically, they could see that there was nothing on the door.

"What if something bad happened?" Jihira whispered worriedly. Jyuuseii bent his long neck down to Jihira's level.

"Sorry, didn't catch that," he whispered. Jihira glared.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. I've-been-in-my-third-form-since-_birth_!" Her feathers ruffled. Her size was a rather sensitive subject. "I _said_ what if something bad happened to Hakkai-san?"

"The sensation in my mind doesn't feel particularly threatening." Jyuuseii said.

"Go down there and leave a note. Tell him that we'll be back in two days for Kanan," Jihira commanded.

"Two days? Why two days?"

"It gives him time to say goodbye. It'll be less painful if we wipe both their memories." The white stork looked back to the house.

"A lot can happen in two days, you know?" The jet black stork said, his gaze following that of his wife's.

"Yeah, I know," Jihira said. Jyuuseii nodded, flying down. He pecked the door with his long bill, and a note magically appeared.

**We know your secret, and we have to take Kanan. We'll be back in two days.**

**- Kazak Jyuuseii and Sin Jihira**

He flew back to Jihira, nodding to show his task was done. The two took off, one gracefully, the other beating her wings like a hummingbird to come close to keeping up. Of course, it was still early in the morning. The storks assumed that their note wouldn't be received until later. They assumed wrong.

Hakkai was stirred from his thoughts by the sharp rap on the door. Sneaking out of bed so as not to wake his roommate or his daughter, he tiptoed out of the room. He went to the door and opened it.

"Hello?" He called softly. Nothing but bird song replied. Just as he was about to shut the door, he noticed a sheet of paper stuck to it. He tore it off rapidly (seeing as how it was attached to the door, he knew instantly who it was from), hoping for answers. Instead, he saw his worst nightmare outlined in scratchy writing and deep violet ink. Numbly, he shut the door and staggered backwards, falling into a chair. He crumpled the letter, clenching his quaking hands into fists. His expression was one of shock, his eyes wide.

"They _can't_ do this. They can't," he said, his voice barely a whisper. His gaze turned steely, resolve freezing in his heart. "They won't. I won't let them." With that, Hakkai started making a list of supplies that a man and a child would need to go into hiding.

First was a tent. Obviously, Jiipu would be their mode of transportation – and most nights, their bed – but if the weather turned bad, they would need shelter. Luckily, the tent from Gojyo and Hakkai's journey west was in storage. That's one thing checked off the list.

Second was food. Depending on how long they would be in hiding (it looked like about 13 years at the moment, given that Kanan was five); they would have to stop for supplies occasionally. The question was, how often is occasionally? They needed to start off with enough food to last until they got a decent head start. If they had to stop for food too soon, it would tip off the storks.

Hakkai was distracted from his list momentarily at this thought. The storks, the two who had helped him through his pregnancy, helped him bring his beautiful, precocious little girl into the world. Now they were hunting him, coming to take his precious daughter away from him. It was strange: though he hadn't seen Jihira and Jyuuseii in over a year, it still hurt that they would do this. They who had given him a second chance in the first place, were now coming to take that chance away. He didn't know why they were doing this, but he wasn't going to give up without a fight. He had two days to get the needed supplies and go into hiding with Kanan.

Of course Gojyo would have objections. He'd want to come along, but that was out of the question. This was Hakkai's battle to fight, and he wouldn't drag his best friend into it. If needs be, he could steal away with Kanan and not tell Gojyo.

And Kanan, his precious little girl. How would this affect her? She was only five; she wouldn't understand why she had to leave the only home that she's ever known. But, now that Hakkai thought about it, what kind of life was that for a child? A child should be safe, and a life on the run couldn't provide that. He slumped forward, his forehead resting on crossed arms. Maybe it would be for the best for him to give Kanan to Jihira and Jyuuseii. If the storks needed to take her, for whatever reason, it was for the best. They were protectors of the hearth and home, after all. They knew what they were doing...didn't they?

Setting notes: Gojyo's house only has one bedroom. Be that as it may, Kanan gets the bed. Now, by now we can assume either that Gojyo and Hakkai have had the sense to set up cots for themselves, or they have actual beds. I'll be generally indescriptive, and we won't see much of the bedroom in this story anyway, so go with whatever.

Author notes: Here is where I feel the need to branch in two different directions with this story. Obviously I'm going to write the actual story first, then go back and write the alternate. And of course, if you look at the summary, there's still a lot to come.

Next chapter: Will Hakkai choose to go into hiding with Kanan, or will he gather the strength he needs to give his daughter to the storks? Or will he even have a choice in the matter?


	5. Flight of the Desperate

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations, and unexpected surprises, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Chapter the fourth: Flight of the Desperate

* * *

Gojyo awoke to find Kanan still asleep and Hakkai nowhere to be found. Sneaking out of the room so as not to wake up the sleeping child, Gojyo found Hakkai slumped at the table, a crumpled note in his hand.

"Rise and shine," the hanyou said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Hakkai started, wildly looking around until he saw Gojyo.

"Oh, it's you." Hakkai smiled at his friend. "_Ohayoo_." Gojyo could tell that something was wrong. Where Hakkai had been slumped over the table was a piece of paper with a list on it, for one thing. Gojyo picked up the list, reading it.

"Going somewhere, 'Kai?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the note.

"_Iie_. Gojyo, I got a letter from the storks. Apparently a need has arisen for them to take Kanan-chan." Hakkai's eyes fell to the note in his hand.

"What, forever?" Gojyo asked, putting the note back on the table. Hakkai nodded. "Well? What are you going to do, 'Kai?"

"The only thing that I can do. I'm going to give them Kanan. She'll be better off." Gojyo slammed his hands on the table, startling Hakkai into looking up.

"If they get Kanan, they win. You love Kanan, don't you?" Gojyo's crimson eyes locked with Hakkai's green.

"Of course I do, Gojyo. More than anything in the world," Hakkai said.

"Then don't let them win."

"But-"

"This is the list of supplies you need? To go into hiding?" Gojyo held up the list. Hakkai nodded. "Let's go into town today and get it."

"Gojyo, you don't understand! What kind of parent would I be if I forced my daughter into hiding just so that she wouldn't be taken away?"

"A damn good one, Hakkai," Gojyo said. "You're all she's ever known. And if you let the storks have her, well, you're stupider than I thought."

"It's 'more stupid,' Gojyo." Hakkai said. "But what kind of life is that for a child? We'll have to practically live out of Jiipu for who knows how long."

"Then do it. Do whatever it takes to keep Kanan. You promised to protect her, after all." Gojyo said.

"And what about you?"

"I was fine before you moved in; I'll be fine until it's safe for you to come back. And when the storks come, I'll send them in the opposite direction." Gojyo sat down at the table.

"Don't forget clothes," he said with a smile, taking the pen that Hakkai had used to write his list and scribbling down a few more things. A soft smile came to Hakkai's face.

"Thank you, Gojyo."

An hour later, Kanan woke up and walked sleepily into the room, rubbing her eyes with one hand and stifling a yawn.

"Good morning, sunshine," Hakkai greeted with a smile.

"Mornin', Tou-chan!" Kanan chirped, immediately waking up and practically bouncing into Hakkai's lap.

"Did you and Haku-chan sleep well?" Hakkai asked, hugging the little girl in his lap. How could he ever have thought about surrendering his precious little daughter? Kanan nodded, grinning. Her expression turned serious.

"'Cept Haku-chan had a bad dream," she said with the utmost severity.

"Is that so?" Kanan nodded. "And did you make his bad dream go away?"

"Yep! All by myself!" Kanan boasted proudly.

"Good job, Kanan-chan. I'm very proud of you." Hakkai said. Kanan beamed. "Tou-chan has some errands to do today, so what do you say we all go into town for the day?"

"Yeah! Can we get ice cream?"

"I don't see why not," Hakkai said with a warm smile. "Come on, let's go get you dressed." He stood, carrying Kanan to the bedroom. A few minutes later, they came back out. Kanan was wearing a blue sundress over a white top. Her dark brown hair was pulled back with a blue ribbon. Gojyo smiled.

"Ready to go, _ohimesama_?" He asked, extending his hand to his _mei_. She slipped one hand into his, and extended the other toward her tou-chan.

"Tou-chan, are you coming?" She asked. Hakkai nodded, taking Kanan's hand. With that, the three left the house.

They returned home later that night, a sleepy Kanan being carried in one arm by Hakkai, and set the bags of supplies on the table. Tomorrow would be hectic, but a good night's sleep was what all three of them needed at that moment.

The next morning, as predicted, was borderline chaotic. Hakkai and Gojyo were up and at 'em bright and early, packing supplies.

"Thank you again, Gojyo."

"For what?" The hanyou asked.

"For convincing me that this was the right thing to do," Hakkai said with a smile.

"My pleasure," Gojyo replied, smiling back.

When Kanan woke up and came out of the bedroom, seeing the piles of supplies, she immediately looked about to cry.

"NO! Tou-chan, you can't leave again! Please don't leave again!" She ran over, clinging to Hakkai's legs. With a bit of effort, Hakkai managed to free himself so that he could kneel down in front of his daughter.

"Kanan-chan, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. Tears spilled down the five-year-old's cheeks.

"Last time you and Gojyo-jisan got everything all together like this; you left and didn't come back for a long time!" She cried, latching herself onto her father's neck. Hakkai smiled softly, holding his daughter close.

"Gojyo-jisan's not going this time, Kanan-chan."

"He's not?" Kanan asked tearfully. "Then I'm gonna stay here with him?"

"Nope," Hakkai said. "You're coming with me." Hazel eyes locked onto green.

"Really?" Kanan asked. Hakkai nodded. "Thank you, Tou-chan!" She squealed excitedly.

"Now go and get the things that you really want to take," Hakkai said. "We're leaving tonight." Kanan skipped off back to the bedroom to get her things, in a decidedly better mood. She came back holding Haku-chan. The battered, well-loved, decidedly no longer white plush dragon had been by and large Kanan's favorite toy pretty much since birth. No, before then, Hakkai mused fondly.

It had seen rough play lately, as was made obvious by the missing eye and multiple places where it had been sewn back together. The missing eye problem had been remedied with a tiny button (Haku-chan's bead eyes were red, so a button from one of Hakkai's tunics was a suitable replacement) and half of a paper clip bent into a circle and sewn on (the mini-monocle being Kanan's idea, actually). Kanan insisted that now Haku-chan was 'just like Tou-chan.'

"Ready, Tou-chan!" Kanan chirped, grinning from ear to ear.

"Great," Hakkai said with a smile. "Jiipu's almost packed, so you say good bye to Gojyo-jisan while I finish up, alright?" He asked, lifting the rolled-up tent. Kanan turned to face Gojyo as Hakkai walked out to the jeep.

"Bye, Gojyo-jisan!" She said.

"What, no hug? Who knows when I might see you next." He squatted down, holding his arms out. Kanan, holding Haku-chan by the wing, ran into her _ojisan_'s open arms. He swept her up off the ground.

"You be good for your tou-chan, alright?" The redhead asked. Kanan nodded. Gojyo set her down. "Later, _ohimesama_."

"Who's going to watch you? Jihira-basan and Jyuuseii-jisan watched me while you and Tou-chan were gone." Kanan held Haku-chan to her. Gojyo laughed.

"I'm big enough to stay home alone. Though sometimes your tou-chan doesn't seem to think so," Gojyo said with a grin. Kanan giggled. "Now come on, I think your tou-chan has Jiipu loaded by now." Hand in hand, Gojyo walked Kanan out. Hakkai was in the driver's seat. The jeep chirped at Kanan and Gojyo. The hanyou lifted Kanan into the passenger seat, buckling her in.

"Good luck, you two. Remember to come back once the _koonotori_ are off your case." Gojyo leaned on Jiipu, who responded with an indignant chirp.

"I left a note on the table reminding you when garbage day is," Hakkai said.

"Be good, Gojyo-jisan!" Kanan said, waving happily. Hakkai laughed.

"Thank you, Gojyo." Gojyo backed away from the jeep, waving as Hakkai drove off.

* * *

Language notes: ohayoo good morning, iie no, ohimesama princess, mei niece, koonotori stork

Author notes: Oo; 'Stupider' is in my computer spell-checker. Haku-chan is based on a stuffed animal that I've had since I was two. He too is beat up, sewn up, and has severe eye problems. And I don't care if you don't care about my insignificant childhood; I'm explaining my inspiration for a particular prop.

Next chapter: The storks come for Kanan, then a bit of a time skip.


	6. Just Missed 'Em

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations, and unexpected surprises, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Chapter the fifth: Just Missed 'Em.

* * *

Gojyo was roused from sleep by a knock at the door. Half-awake, his hair disheveled and pajamas wrinkled, he stumbled to the door with a mumbled 'Shaddup.'

"Ah, Gojyo-san, good morning." The two at the door bowed politely. Gojyo slumped against the door frame, effectively blocking the whole door.

"The hell's so good about it?" He asked around the unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"Where are Hakkai-san and Kanan-chan?" Jihira asked.

"Not here." Gojyo rolled his eyes.

"Do you know where they are?" Jyuuseii was prodding for answers.

"Nope." Gojyo said nonchalantly, taking the cigarette out of his mouth.

"When did they leave?" Jihira asked. This was getting annoying.

"Don't remember."

"Aren't you just a bundle of helpfulness in the morning?" Jyuuseii was ticked.

"Don't care." Gojyo made to shut the door.

"The wrath of the _Kaigi Koonotori_ will be upon you if you don't cooperate. You saw what we did to Hakkai-san when we were benevolent. Imagine all of the hundreds of thousands of storks in the universe doing just that to you...with malicious intent." Jyuuseii's voice was dark, his brown eyes narrowed.

"We can make you undergo the pain of childbirth without a child. And with no child, the pain will never stop." Jihira elaborated, her expression similar to her husband's. If Gojyo was fazed by this threat, he didn't show it.

"I said I don't know where they are. Good luck trying to find them, though." Gojyo shut the door in the storks' faces. He slumped against it with a sigh, running his hand through his long scarlet hair.

"I hate mornings."

Two months later

"Tou-chan, I'm hungry." Kanan whined from the passenger seat. "Can we stop to eat?" Hakkai smiled at her.

"We just had breakfast a couple hours ago, Kanan-chan. Ten more minutes, and we'll stop. I promise." Kanan pouted. Hakkai's smile disappeared. "How about you sing a song to pass the time?" He clicked off the radio. Kanan grinned and started making up a song as she went along. Hakkai smiled, going back to watching the road.

Ten minutes found father and daughter eating sandwiches. Kanan would occasionally hold her sandwich to the sewn on mouth of Haku-chan, pretending that the stuffed animal was eating. Hakuryu, who had been running low on fuel, would reach over and take a bite of Hakkai's sandwich every so often. Of course, the little dragon had also had a few pieces of meat (sandwich leftovers) and a dish of water, so he was quite full by the time they were ready to leave again. They set off again; their goal was to put as much distance between them and home as possible.

Any doubts that Hakkai had had at the start of this were gone now. Kanan seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the experience, especially when they got to sleep in the tent. When they slept in Jiipu, she was usually in the backseat and he was in the driver's seat. He could sleep sitting up: she couldn't. Most of her waking hours during driving breaks was spent either chasing squirrels (Kanan thought this great fun), or listening to Hakkai tell fairy tales. The enchanting stories always seemed to star the beautiful young princess Kanan, who was never captured by the dragons because she was their friend. These stories, similar though they were, never failed to amuse Kanan. Had she not been wrapped up in her father's voice (which was perfect for telling fairy tales, she thought), she might have noticed that the daily fairy tale was a more decorated version of the day's adventures.

No matter how cookie-cutter or hum-drum the day seemed to Hakkai, every day was a new adventure to Kanan, with plenty of things to explore and creatures to befriend. Writing fairy tales was easy, Hakkai mused, if you can just look at normal life through the eyes of a child. But life wasn't all blue skies and butterflies. One day, Kanan stumbled across a hurt little chipmunk. She immediately ran and asked her tou-chan to help it. It wasn't moving, and its fur was stained and matted with blood. Immediately, Hakkai's fear had been that it was dead, but there was still a bit of life left in it. For his daughter's sake, he put his hands over the tiny animal and closed its wounds with his chi. The green glow faded, and the chipmunk lay there, still as ever.

"Did it work?" Kanan asked worriedly.

"It might have. This little one is very sick, Kanan-chan. Could you go and get a towel and some water?" The little girl ran off. Hakkai picked up the little bloodied chipmunk in his hands. Kanan came back with a small towel and the canteen from Jiipu. Hakkai took the towel and laid it on the ground, gently setting the chipmunk on it. He took a corner of the towel and wet it slightly, cleaning the blood off of the little creature. He wrapped it snugly in the towel, handing it to Kanan.

"It's up to you now to take care of this little one, alright?" Hakkai asked. The five-year-old looked surprised momentarily, but nodded. She smiled down at the swaddled unconscious chipmunk in her arms.

"I'm your mommy now, little one," Kanan said, walking back toward Jiipu with the chipmunk in her arms. Hakkai smiled, standing up. He stretched backward, his back groaning in distress. It must be all the hours in Jiipu: his back was peculiarly sore lately. And he wasn't really sleeping well, he noted with a yawn. The small amount of chi that he'd channeled to heal the chipmunk had left him nearly exhausted. Luckily they'd stopped for the night. Hakkai wasn't sure he trusted himself enough to drive in his current exhausted state. He walked over to Jiipu, tucking Kanan in the backseat. He kissed her softly on the temple.

"Now you go right to sleep, Kanan-chan." He said. She nodded, and he made to get in the driver's seat.

"Tou-chan?" Kanan called sleepily.

"Yes?" Hakkai asked with a smile.

"Risuko needs a kiss goodnight too." The chipmunk, or 'baby squirrel,' was passed out in the back floorboard. Hakkai reached in and picked up the tiny animal, humoring his daughter by pretending to kiss the little animal goodnight.

"Goodnight, Risuko." Hakkai said, gently lowering the little bundle back to the floorboard. He found a dilapidated stuffed dragon thrust in his face.

"And Haku-chan." Kanan said with a smile.

"Of course, how could I possibly forget Haku-chan?" Hakkai asked good-naturedly, pretending to kiss the stuffed animal. "Goodnight, Kanan-chan. Goodnight, Haku-chan."

"'Night, Tou-chan." Kanan mumbled sleepily, hugging Haku-chan to her. Hakkai got in the driver's seat, slowly drifting off to sleep. Just as he was about to completely fall asleep, a sleepy voice called to him from the backseat.

"Tou-chan?"

"Hm?" Hakkai's green eyes were only half open, and his coherency was limited to monosyllabic sounds.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Kanan-chan." Hakkai said, smiling. A few minutes of silence passed.

"Tou-chan?"

"Kanan-chan, are you trying to avoid going to sleep?" Hakkai asked. A bit of shuffling in the backseat answered him.

"Is Risuko going to be alright?" Kanan asked.

"I'm sure Risuko will be fine. Now go to sleep." Hakkai shut his eyes, smiling at his daughter's compassion.

"'Kay. Love you." Kanan sounded about to fall asleep.

"Love you too. Goodnight."

"'Night."

* * *

Language notes: Kaigi Koonotori stork council

Name notes: Risuko means roughly 'baby squirrel'. There's no actual Japanese word for chipmunk, and I remember equating chipmunks with baby squirrels, so the chipmunk's name is Risuko.

Next chapter: More time skip, more with the runaways (plus a special visitor) and a bit with the storks.


	7. WellThis Sucks

Title: Hakkai's Surprise 2 – Forbidden

Rating: T

Summary: After the journey west, Hakkai has been home for a year. Life seems nearly perfect, but when the storks find out the truth about the relationship between Hakkai and the late Kanan, they come to take his daughter from him. Hakkai isn't going to give his daughter up without a fight, but between otherworldly visitations, unexpected surprises, and a sick little dragon, will he be able to keep his daughter safe from the storks?

Chapter the sixth: Well...This Sucks.

* * *

It had been three days since Kanan had found Risuko, and the two runaways were asleep in Jiipu. Kanan was snuggled with Haku-chan in the backseat and Hakkai was asleep in the driver's seat. Risuko, the wounded chipmunk, was limp in her towel in the back floorboard. A soft ethereal glow came forward from the trees, and materialized into a softly glowing female figure. An equally glowing little animal ran up to the woman. She scooped it up in her hands with a smile.

"It's still not your time yet, little one. You'll break my little girl's heart if you die." The animal cocked her head curiously. This was the third time, darn it, that the chipmunk's spirit had been intercepted.

"It's time to go back." The woman walked over to Jiipu, reaching in and putting the glowing animal on top of Risuko's little body. It fell in, and the chipmunk twitched slightly as life was restored. The woman's gaze wandered to the sleeping girl in the backseat. With a sad smile, she brushed a lock of dark brown hair from her daughter's face. She looked up to the front of the jeep. Walking so that she was beside the driver's seat, she leaned on the door and stared longingly at the sleeping Hakkai. Gently, she put her hand on his cheek.

"I love you, Gonou." She whispered. Hakkai stirred slightly.

"Kanan..." He mumbled sleepily. She smiled and withdrew her hand. Suddenly, the soft sound of faraway voices caught her attention and caused her to turn. She ran off in the direction of the voices, determined to keep her family safe.

"I told you to take a right at that tree stump. Now we're completely lost." The white-haired woman said with a glare.

"We're not lost, Jihira. We've just misplaced ourselves." The black-haired man argued distractedly, studying the map in his hands.

"How do you expect us to be able to find Hakkai-san when we can't even find ourselves?"

"How do you expect me to be able to get us back on track if you keep yelling at me?" The dark-skinned stork asked.

"Fine, fine, I'll shut up. But why can't I look at the map?" Jihira whined.

"We were lost for four days last time you had the map." Jyuuseii didn't even look up.

"Oh, so I'm capable of getting us lost, but you aren't?" Jihira put her hands on her hips, daring Jyuuseii to say something.

"Precisely. Now shush so I can find our way out of here."

"Gosh-darned willy-head." Jihira mumbled, giving Jyuuseii the three-fingered salute ('read between the lines'). Jyuuseii looked up from the map, blinking. He looked over at Jihira, then just shook his head and went back to studying the map. The spirit came out of the woods in front of them.

"I know why you are here." The spirit bowed respectfully. "And I can lead you to those you seek."

"_Konban wa_, Kanan-san." Jyuuseii bowed. "Pardon our suspicion, but what motive do you have to lead us to your brother and daughter?"

"You know better than I what is right." She led the two back the way that she had come. Unbeknownst to Jihira and Jyuuseii, the way that she had come was directly opposite to the runaways.

Hakkai and Kanan moved on the next morning, unaware of the otherworldly help that they'd received the night before. As soon as Jiipu started, though, little Risuko woke up for the first time. The chipmunk freed herself from her towel (her body completely healed) and climbed up on Kanan's shoulder. The little girl giggled as the tiny striped creature rubbed her head on her cheek. Hakkai smiled, looking up into the rearview mirror.

"Oh, good, Risuko's awake." Really he was glad that Risuko was _alive_, but he wasn't about to say that aloud.

"Isn't she cute?" Kanan asked, petting the chipmunk. Hakkai smiled.

"Adorable. But not near as cute as you, Kanan-chan."

"But she's little!" Kanan argued. The chipmunk chattered.

"Now that she's awake, I think we need to put Risuko back into the wild," Hakkai said, bringing the car to a stop. Kanan turned to stare the brown-eyed chipmunk in the eyes. She cocked her head.

"Why? Why can't I keep her?"

"She belongs in the wild, Kanan-chan. It's unfair to keep her as a pet."

"But she got hurt in the wild! And Hakuryu came from the wild, but you kept him!" The aforementioned jeep cheeped curiously.

"Kanan, I tried to set Hakuryu free when I found him. We should at least give Risuko a choice in the matter." Hakkai said, getting out and opening the back door. Kanan slid out, pouting. She took Risuko off her shoulder and set the chipmunk on the ground. Risuko rubbed against Kanan's hand for a minute, met eyes with the little girl, and ran off into the woods. Kanan sniffled, wiping her eyes with her arm.

"Bye, Risuko! Be careful and don't get hurt again, okay!" She yelled. Hakkai smiled softly and put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. Kanan had just learned one of life's lessons, and it may have been hard for her to say goodbye to the little chipmunk, but it would have been harder to say a permanent goodbye.

"You did the right thing, Kanan-chan." Hakkai comforted. "Hey, next town we come to, we'll stop for ice cream, alright?" The five-year-old nodded. Father and daughter walked back to the jeep, and Kanan climbed in shotgun.

A month later, Hakkai and Kanan were still on the run. It was nighttime when the realization came, late at night. Kanan was sleeping in the backseat of Jiipu, and Hakkai was within sight, doing something that he only did late at night when Kanan was asleep, something that he did purely so that he could protect himself and Kanan if they ever were found: practice his Qigong. It was as he was doing so that he noticed the exhaustion sweeping over him, the feeling that it was taking much more effort than usual to call on his life energy. And it seemed that his efforts were yielding little chi. When he created a stream of chi, it seemed to break in places, as though he didn't have enough energy to keep the stream steady.

Realization hit him hard, and he staggered back, slumping against a tree. Why was this happening? Why? Without his chi, they were sitting ducks if the storks found them. And if his suspicion was correct, soon he could forget just using martial arts. Not to mention the danger if something went wrong, or how he would tell Kanan about what was going to start happening soon. But why hadn't the other symptoms come about yet? Yes, his back had been a bit sore lately, but he hadn't felt ill at all. His chi becoming inaccessible was the greatest sign of all: somehow, Hakkai was pregnant. Again. The world was conspiring against him, he mused darkly, threading both hands in his hair and bringing his knees to his chest. The whole world was set against his success in anything, but as set as the world was against him, he was just as set on doing everything he could to protect his beloved daughter, himself, and now...now, this little life growing inside of him.

* * *

Language notes: konban wa good evening

Author notes: Wow, this story is going to be frickin long. Only three months into the pregnancy, and it's already chapter six not counting prologue.

Next chapter, Hakkai ponders how he's pregnant, Kanan finds out about her new baby brother or sister, and then fweee! Time skip! D


End file.
